A Matter of Timing
by coldfusion9797
Summary: Whilst thinking about the ones that got away Chris unexpectedly meets the girl of his dreams. One-shot.


What if, in all the world, there's one person you're supposed to be with? How would you find them? And when you did, how would you know?

They'd love you back, right? Unconditionally and wholeheartedly like you loved them. You'd feel an instant connection and fall into each other's arms and that'd be that. What reason could you possibly have to leave one another after that moment?

These are the things Chris Harrington ponders as he goes about his work surrounded by a roomful of seafaring partygoers. They're thoughts that have been running around in his head ever since he left Summer Bay. He wishes they'd go away. Truth be told, he took this job to escape all that.

Around him happy couples are adrift on the sea of love, or lust at least. Why can't he find that special someone?

You might not think it but deep down Chris is a hopeless romantic. Yeah, he's slept with plenty of girls and you could say that makes him a whore, or you could say he's just very proactive in searching for _the one_.

Not that it's working, as he obviously hasn't found her yet.

His thing with Hannah had been nice and all but he'd always known she wasn't as into him as he was her. In the end she'd gone back to Andy because he was her one and she was his.

Okay, so she'd cheated on Andy when an old flame had come back into her life but once upon a time she'd assumed Sean was the one and she had to be sure. Her relationship with the doctor had ended because of circumstances that were out of both their control, they'd never meant for it to end. Really, the whole thing was just a matter of bad timing... but whatever, enough about Hannah, it was clear now that they were never meant to be.

As Chris cleans glasses and people watches, he wonders if people can have different 'the ones'? Like could Hannah be his one but he wasn't hers? He hopes not, it'd suck if that were true.

Once there was one girl he'd been sure was the one His true love. A girl he would've done anything for. The most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, with eyes the colour of a summer sky and a smile like sunshine. A girl he'd sent a horse and carriage for. A girl that made him stop thinking solely about sex and start thinking about love. A girl he gave up travelling for. A girl he settled down for. A girl who was in love with someone else and so sad that she had packed her bags and left town forever.

She was a girl he'd never forgotten.

He sighs, realises how depressing he's being and thinks he better cheer up. He's on a cruise ship after all and you're not allowed to be miserable when you're sailing around paradise, especially not when you're the guy behind the bar.

He spots a blonde all on her own at the end of the bar, puts a smile on his face and heads in her direction. He's pretty sure there's no one with her, he's got a sixth sense for spotting single ladies and there's no rule to say he can't have a little fun while he searches for his elusive soul mate. Besides, you never know, this girl might be the one he's looking for.

There's no doubt she's dressed to impress in a backless, black dress with glittering stones decorating her ears and wrists. She wouldn't be the first single girl to get bored with everyday life and try her luck on a cruise ship.

As he gets closer he realises there's something different about her though. She's facing away from him, watching the crowd in a way that suggests she doesn't quite fit in here. It's hard to see her face in the low light but it's like she's a little apart from all the fun and laughter and booze. Like she's outside of the party everyone else is wrapped up in. Like maybe she wants to but she's just not quite ready to join in yet. Hopefully he can change her mind.

"What'll it be little lady?"

She turns and looks at him with summer sky eyes and for a second he forgets how to breathe.

"Chris?" she says, and there's the sunshine smile. Now he knows the timing thing is true. It's the only thing they got wrong last time but here and now, on one of a hundred possible ships floating out in the Pacific, he and Indi both seem to have got it exactly right.

 **AN: Why can't the show have sweet, happy endings like this? At least every now and then... Thanks for reading.**


End file.
